WW2Wrecks.com

Like World War II Wrecks? You've come to the right place. http://www.ww2wrecks.com A variety of wrecks -ships, aircraft, submarines and vehicles, battlefield archaeology, interviews and first-hand accounts – Enjoy!

Hibiki was built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the inter-war period. When introduced into service, her class were the most powerful destroyers in the world and remained formidable ships well into the Pacific War during World War 2 At a depth of approximately 25 metres, a WW2 Japanese destroyer, the Hibiki (響“Echo”), lays undisturbed, since it was used as target-practice and sunk in the 1970s.

Mr.Aleksei Kondratuk shared with www.ww2wrecks.com his underwater photos, as well as his thoughts, diving the Hibiki and the nearby Tsi-Nan-Fu wreck, a cargo ship sunk in the same area.

“These two shipwrecks are close to Karamzin island at a depth of 15 to 25 meters. The Japanese destroyer Hibiki has a significant history and was once considered to be among the most powerful destroyers in the world.”

After WW2 was over, the Hibiki was was turned over to the Soviet Union as a war prize, and placed in service with the Soviet Navy under the name Verniy. In 1960 the ship was moved to Karamzin island, as a target for training strikes of the Soviet military forces, until it was sunk.

“Divers can explore the the bow gun position, several superstructures and the forward parts of the ship.

The Tsi-Nan-Fu was a cargo ship, which delivered porcelain from China to Russia and is at a depth of just 15 to 25 meters. Divers can explore a huge 5-meter propeller, several cargo holds and the superstructure of the wreck.”